CIV 240 - Soil Mechanics

Topics include: soil origin and nature; soil density, gradation and compaction; soil water content and reaction to frost; stress distribution in soil, soil shear strength; and pile bearing strength. Laboratory instruction is based on ASTM and AASHTO specifications particulary as they are used to classify and predict soil behavior.

After successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

1. Have knowledge of soil types.
2. Perform soil gradation testing and create gradation curves.
3. Classify soils for engineering uses.
4. Provide soil descriptions by visual and manual examination of soil samples.
5. Have an understanding of basic engineering properties of soils such as Atterberg Limits, relative density, and gradation.
6. Solve problems involving weight and volume relationships of soils.
7. Have an understanding of soil compaction, be able to perform compaction testing in the lab, and be able to create moisture-density curves.
8. Conduct field density testing by the sand cone.
9. Have an understanding of the flow of water through soils and be able to conduct lab permeability tests.
10. Have an understanding of the common methods of soil exploration and obtaining soil samples.
11. Calculate subsurface stresses in soils.
12. Calculate expected consolidation settlements in soils.
13. Understand the concepts of soil shear strength.
14. Perform soil strength testing by the unconfined compression test and the direct shear test, and be able to analyze the results to determine strength parameters.
15. Understand the basics of shallow foundation design.